Genetic Lessons
by Polar Kodiak
Summary: An Evangelion fusion. Shinji Ikari has been targeted, but not just by NERV...Updated the Jargon Appendix.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: The Characters of Evangelion do not belong to me, I'm sorry to say. They belong to Gainax.  The rest of the characters, as well as the Global Compact, belong to me.  If you want to use them, just make sure to tell me and give credit where it's due.

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Genetic Lessons: Prologue

By Polar Kodiak

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The doctor could not believe what she was reading.  True, the equipment that she was using was archaic compared to what she was used to.  However, as many before her and many in the future would either claim joyously or lament, facts, raw and pure, did not lie.

Despite this, and despite her upbringing to revere the facts as forever unchanging, the doctor still could not accept what was before her.  It was a tiny variance; anyone who didn't know _exactly what they were searching for would have overlooked it, or dismissed it as a fluke or harmless mutation._

A ghost of a smile found its way onto the doctor's face as that thought came to mind.  No, this was no harmless mutation.  After all, it could do a great deal of harm if the individual with the Variant fell into the wrong hands.  Even worse than that, however, was if the Variant fell into the wrong ideology.  _That had been learned the hard way._

Glancing once more at the technical readout of the blood sample she had obtained, the woman ripped out the sequence that contained the Variance and dashed out of the office, nearly running over a wheel-chaired man who was wheeling past.  After nearly slamming into an orderly who was to give a sponge bath to one of the patients in a nearby room, the frantic doctor found what she had been frantically searching for.

The doorknob was locked.  The doctor, too impatient to fumble through the mass of keys in her pocket, kicked open the door with a strength that belied her small frame.  The lock tumbled to the floor, broken.  Quickly finding a nearby fax machine, she hastily scribbled down the name 'Ikari, Shinji' on the paper containing the valuable Variance.  She slammed it into the top end of the machine, nearly breaking the communication device.  Hastily typing in a phone number, the doctor waited impatiently for the paper to copy the information and send the priceless data to its target at the speed of light.

'Too damn slow,' thought the doctor irritably.  'What I wouldn't give for a Space-time Elemental right about now.'

Five seconds after the confirmation that the fax had been sent and received, the doctor's cell phone rang.  Whipping it out of her pants pocket, she pressed the 'accept' button.

The moment she brought the device to her ear, the man on the other end of the line said simply, "Shinji Ikari?"

"Yes, sir," she replied with military precision and demeanor.

"Variance?"

"Fifth Order, sir."

"Excellent.  I will make all the necessary arrangements."

"Thank you, sir."

"Doctor?  Do not call me sir."

Before the doctor's response, the line went dead.

"Yes, sir," she mouthed.  Just as she did, however, her cell phone rang once more.  Puzzled, she brought it back to her ear.  

"I _told you not to call me sir, Doctor."_

There was a soft _click as the man on the other line hung up once more.  The doctor stared at the phone in amazement.  'How does he do that?' the doctor wondered.  Exiting the room, the young woman made her way to the maternity ward, deciding not to wait for the elevators filled with chattering doctors and listless patients.  Behind her, the door that she had broken down earlier lay on the ground unfixed.  The nearby hospital staff stared, baffled._

Checking the list of recent mothers, the doctor glanced over the names until she found the one that she was looking for.  'Yui Ikari, room 315.'  It didn't take her long to find the room.  Politely knocking before entering, the doctor found herself facing two distressed parents.

"What's wrong, Doctor?  Why did our nurse send for you?  Is there something wrong with Shinji?" 

'That must be the husband, Gendo,' the doctor thought, cursing herself for stating the obvious.  After she explained to the parents that it was standard procedure that doctors be allowed to check blood samples for mutations, she informed the parents of the Variant that their son was a completely normal and healthy child.

The doctor thought, 'At least normal for all that your primitive science can tell you, and that's all that you need to worry about for now.  The Compact will soon have one more warrior added to their ranks, and you shall never realize the genetic potential that your son has.'

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If you would like an appendix/history of the societies, characters, etc. of Legacy of a Traveler (the story that's crossed over with this one) go http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=383982 and go to the Appendix.


	2. Changes

Disclaimer: The Characters of Evangelion do not belong to me, I'm sorry to say. They belong to Gainax. The rest of the characters, as well as the Global Compact, belong to me. If you want to use them, just make sure to tell me and give credit where it's due.  
  
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Genetic Lessons: Changes  
  
By Polar Kodiak  
  
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Doctor Sachiko Nogawama did not like surprises. She also did not like to see five years of hard work tossed into the street, casually tossed aside like the previous day's garbage. What raised her ire even more than either of these two eventualities? When they were part of the same event, naturally. To top it off, this detested surprise also occurred at the least convenient time as well. Such is the way of the universe.  
  
"May the wrath of Hephaestus fall upon you, Gendo Ikari!"  
  
Hephaestus was not a very wrathful deity, but she was a Second Variant, and they were the soldiers of Fire. It would have been unseemly to use another's deity to curse one's existence. Sachiko did not necessarily believe in such things, but there was no point not to be careful.  
  
Her cell phone rang. She was still simmering over her anger at Gendo Ikari, and let her avarice filter through the speaker. "What could you possibly want?"  
  
There was a momentary pause before the response whispered into her ear, quiet but strong. "Calm yourself, Doctor. This situation requires equanimity, which you do not currently possess. Of course, that lack of emotional control I expect from a Second Variant like you. Fourth Variants as well, for that matter."  
  
She groaned internally. It was him. Technically, she was not under his direct command, but he had overall control of this operation and she deferred to his judgment. Summoning up whatever courage that had not fled at the sound of his voice, she replied calmly, "Neither Fire nor Wind enjoy being confined. We do not hide in the shadows as you Fifth Variants do."  
  
"Quite poetic."  
  
Sachiko smiled sardonically. "Apt, as well."  
  
A quiet chuckle slipped its way through the receiver. "Half-true. We do not hide in the shadows, Doctor. We are the Shadows. -But that is not the issue. I would appreciate if we kept the conversation on the matter at hand."  
  
"Shinji Ikari."  
  
"Yes. Would you agree that this child has nothing to look forward to on this world?"  
  
She heard the real question, Does this world have any more use for him?  
  
There was that Evangelion project, but it was unlikely that Ikari would need his son for that. Why would he Sachiko nodded her head grimly to the asked question and not the implied one. She did this despite the fact that he could not see her. 'Or maybe he can,' she thought. Fifth Variants had a nasty habit of invading others' privacy, within reason and when necessary. That was to be expected, of course. They cared little for their own modesty or privacy, and cared even less for others'.  
  
"Well, Doctor?"  
  
Startled, she quickly said, "Yes, Elemental Blackwood."  
  
Ignoring the reference to rank, the Fifth Variant continued, "I shall recommend your immediate promotion to the Second Variant Elemental. When you deliver the young Ikari here on Lunar Base in the home universe, you shall find your new quarters, uniform, etcetera waiting for you.  
  
"Congratulations, Reasonist Class One Nogawama."  
  
The phone went dead, but Sachiko had never felt more alive. Setting the cell phone down on the counter, she grabbed her coat and dashed off into the city, eager to find the young boy she had watched and cared for every day over the past half-decade, ever since she had taken over his care while his mother was pregnant. His busy parents often left their son in her care.  
  
The door closed. A moment later, the phone rang once more. The answering machine produced a tone. "Doctor, be wary. Reports suggest that there may be Imperials in the area. With Faithists nearby, be sure to stay away from their places of power; religious institutions are to be avoided at all costs. Military escort units have been dispatched, but will not be in your vicinity for another hour."  
  
The line went dead.  
  
Forty-five minutes later.  
  
"Sachi!" The young boy threw himself at the only family that he had left.  
  
Sachiko's eyes were alight with joy as she easily caught the leaping five- year-old. Setting him down, she took his hand and the duo began walking down the empty city street. Even the standard hum of machinery had stopped.  
  
'That is strange,' she thought. 'It is the middle of the day. Where is everyone? The street should be as crowded as.'  
  
A shiver ran down her back as Sachiko realized that the two of them were standing in front of a temple. She quickly scooped up the boy as if he were lighter than a feather, effectively knocking the wind out of him. She tore down the street as fast as her legs would carry her. Moments later, the double doors of the temple burst open to reveal six figures, armored in medieval fashion. Upon spotting the fleeing doctor, the apparent leader of the group pointed a massive broadsword at her. With a cry of "Death to the heretic!", the sextet began to pursue her.  
  
Putting on an extra burst of speed, Sachiko dared not look back. By Hephaestus, she was a doctor, not a warrior! Her fighting skills were just effective enough to help her attain her current rank of Acolyte. Turning a corner, she placed Shinji back on his feet. Sachiko quickly took a bracelet off each of her wrists and pressed them into the young boy's hands. Each bracelet was fashioned out of lightweight platinum and set with smooth, oval rubies.  
  
Giving him one last brilliant smile, she drew two daggers from hidden sheaths. "Now, Shinji, I want you to find the Variants. They are friends of mine, and will make sure you get the family you need. Take these bracelets. Keep them as a reminder of me. -Good. Show them to the Variants when you find them. Now go!"  
  
The urgency in her voice prompted the young boy to turn around and run off. Once he was safely out of sight, she steeled herself, turned the corner, and hurled herself at the advancing Imperial soldiers.  
  
"For the Compact!"  
  
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Fifth Variant Shinji Ikari blinked away tears as the unwanted memories of that fateful day nine years ago sprang to the surface. It was not any particular sound that triggered the memory; it was the lack of sound. The thunderous silence, the oppressive still air that transported the third- level Acolyte back in time. A strange sense of déjà vu crept over Shinji.  
  
The Third Angel was not as subtle as most reminisces; it crashed into a nearby building. Quickly pivoting to face it, the teenager took off his sunglasses, only to replace them a second later as the unfiltered sunlight crashed into his sensitive eyes. After a decade of attuning his eyes to functioning equally well in the dark and light, Shinji's eyes quickly became too sensitive to use in the open during hours of sunlight.  
  
Hot tears ran down his cheek as he quickly delegated the Angel to a position of minor importance in his mind. His superiors had always told him that he often had problems with setting priorities; this was such a time. Nevertheless, his control slipped for only a moment. The impassive mask that was the product of a decade of Apparition Training had returned. He tightened his gloved hands into fists as he made a conscious effort to drain his self of those cursed emotions that eluded the iron grip he maintained over his body and mind.  
  
Despite all of his attempts at controlling the emotional torrents that washed over him (he was using water metaphors again; he had been listening for Third Variants too much), he still had difficulties controlling his emotions. They were wild, uncontrollable.  
  
Sachiko would have been proud of him. She had been a Second Variant, after all; Flames were carefree and never tempered their emotions.  
  
A car's breaks screeched as it came to an abrupt halt in front of the young Acolyte. The passenger side door opened, and a beautiful woman smiled at him. "Get in!"  
  
After entering calmly, the young Ikari strapped himself in. A perfect contrast to his collected calm, Misato Katsuragi slammed her foot on the accelerator, pressing Shinji into the seat. 'That acceleration hit me harder than a First Variant's fist,' he thought as the tires groaned in protest at the harsh treatment. Minutes later, with the besieged metropolis behind them, the two relaxed.  
  
Shinji's eyes roamed over his driver, the voluptuous Captain Misato Katsuragi. Being a Fifth Variant convert operations agent, the young man took in every detail of her body. For profile purposes only, of course. The fact that she was extremely attractive and radiated sexuality encouraged him to take a few more moments of examination. Despite rumors to the contrary, Shinji did notice women and their physical and psychological wiles. He simply never acted on such temptations, no matter how.tempting. And these were awfully tempting wiles.Shinji bit his lip in a physical effort to clamp down on his blasted desires. He was a Third Class Acolyte, by Hades! Not some dumb teenage sack of hormones!  
  
"Umm, Shinji, I just got this car and.well, I'd like the dashboard intact, if you don't mind."  
  
He smiled, removing his fist from the partially dented console. "Sorry about that, Captain Katsuragi. It is just that-"  
  
She patted his thigh reassuringly. "Call me Misato. And don't worry. I know how frustrating it must be, not having seen your father in ten years."  
  
His grin froze on his lips. Despite being unable to see his eyes, Misato could tell that he wasn't entirely thrilled at the mention of his biological father. It wasn't as if she needed to pay much attention to the road, right?  
  
As if in response to her unasked question about his father, he replied warmly, "I do not relish the thought of meeting Gendo Ikari, but if I have the opportunity to meet you en route, then there is a silver lining to the rather dark cloud that I believe will symbolize the meeting between the two Ikaris." The moment those words left his mouth, his mind froze.  
  
'I did not just say that, did I? Iridian is going to have a field day with this.'  
  
'I could've sworn that he's flirting with me,' Misato thought. 'The kid's quite the charmer. Nothing at all like his father, even though they look so much alike.'  
  
Shinji did indeed look a great deal like his father. The chiseled face was constant, as was the perpetual preference for eyewear. The wardrobe of father and son was similar, although the younger version's garb was cut more along sharper, military lines. Unlike Gendo's earth tone colors, Shinji wore entirely black.  
  
The car halted abruptly. Shinji was too busy trying to analyze his spontaneous flirting with the woman to notice either the car stopping or Misato's claim about N2 bombs. He most certainly did notice when she pounced on him, and the following non-nuclear blast that tossed the car about like a leaf.  
  
Shinji crawled out of the car after it had ceased its turbulent rotation. Reaching both hands into the vehicle, he soon grabbed hold of Misato's arms and pulled her out with little effort. A few 'borrowed' batteries and the duo were on their way to NERV headquarters once more. However, Misato soon got the two of them lost in the confusing labyrinth of the pyramidal headquarters. Luckily, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi found the wayward Captain and Pilot, escorting them to a darkened room. The young boy removed his sunglasses, allowing his sensitive eyes to adapt to the pitch-black room. His gaze drifted and focused on the massive humanoid robot to his right.  
  
'So, this is the infamous 'Evangelion' that you have been building for the past decade, Gendo Ikari? Is this meant simply as a device to stop the so- called Angels, or is it a part of the secretive Instrumentality project that I have been ordered to-'  
  
His mind ground to a stop as his vision exploded in a massive flash of light. The lights of the hangar had been turned on, and Shinji's eyes had little time to acclimatize themselves. Crumpling to the floor, he began convulsing in pain, his hands covering his blinded eyes. Misato and Ritsuko quickly rushed over to him.  
  
"What the hell's wrong with him, Ritsuko?" Misato asked, worriedly.  
  
Not taking her eyes off him for a second, the doctor replied, "It appears to be an epileptic seizure, but he shouldn't-"  
  
"It is of no concern. He is useless to us." Gendo Ikari's voice boomed through the massive hangar. A few moments later, a gurney was wheeled into the room, it's wheels squeaking as it ferried its valuable human cargo in front of the monstrous purple robot. A young teenager sat up, breathing heavily. Her pale white skin and cyan hair starkly contrasted with her crimson red eyes.  
  
The entire hangar shook as a blast from the Third Angel grew closer. Part of the ceiling fell, massive debris careening towards the young girl. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Shinji held a gloved hand to his head as consciousness seeped in. His eyes had focused sufficiently to recognize the imminent danger to the wounded girl, and his protective instincts took over. Disregarding the pain in his head, Shinji rose to his feet and dashed forward. Grabbing the young woman by the hips, he leaped out of the trajectory of the incoming debris. He failed to notice that the Evangelion had already moved to intercept the chunks of ceiling. After pulling himself off Rei, he asked if she was unhurt. However, she was too distracted by his golden eyes to respond. Quickly realizing that his contacts had fallen out, he quickly replaced his sunglasses. Without the contacts that made his eyes appear brown, it was readily apparent that he wasn't exactly the normal, fourteen-year-old that his profile suggested he was.  
  
"Will you pilot it?" Despite all the commotion, Gendo Ikari still kept a powerful command over his facilities.  
  
"That?" Shinji asked incredulously. The Evangelion's hand was frozen in place over Shinji and Rei.  
  
"If you will not pilot it, Rei will." Gendo's eyes remained impassive.  
  
"Rei? -Oh. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Rei. I am Shinji Ikari." He bowed deeply to her. She blinked, baffled at the rather odd introduction.  
  
Turning back to his father, Shinji smiled. "Politeness costs nothing, Gendo Ikari. -I will pilot."  
  
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'Well, here goes.' The Evangelion took a tentative step forward, the ground rumbling. Unbalanced by the difficulty in piloting, the Evangleion began to fall forward. The other foot quickly stepped forward, steadying it. Everyone in the NERV control room breathed a collective sigh of relief. Eva Unit 01 righted itself and stood tall before the Third Angel.  
  
Then the Evangelion vanished.  
  
"Shinji!"  
  
No response.  
  
"Shinji! Respond!"  
  
Turning to his Commander, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki asked the elder Ikari, "Was that supposed to happen, Ikari?"  
  
Gendo Ikari said nothing. The monstrous Third Angel began its destruction anew. It had passed the original position of the Evangelion when Unit 01 reappeared from out of nowhere and delivered a powerful kick to the Angel's unprotected back, sending it reeling.  
  
The Angel fell head first into the ground, buildings shaking at their foundations. It sprang upright, angrily searching for the coward that had dared strike it in the back. Unit 01 was nowhere in sight. The Angel relaxed.  
  
Only to have the Eva tackle it from the side. Extending its arm straight out as both fell to the ground, Unit 01 easily rolled to its feet and leapt toward the Angel, which had landed a few dozen meters away. The Eva was stopped before it could intercept its foe by a wall of light and energy.  
  
From inside the entry plug, Shinji cursed. 'I did not think that these Angels had Faithist shields! Since when did the Imperials ever deal with anyone other than the Corporates?'  
  
Those precious seconds of indecision were all that the Angel needed. A white beam of light fired from its ruby core, exploding on the Eva's chest. Despite the mitigating properties of LCL, the point-blank range blast knocked Shinji's head against the entry plug headrest, rendering him unconscious. 


	3. Adaption

Disclaimer: The Characters of Evangelion do not belong to me, I'm sorry to say. They belong to Gainax. The rest of the characters, as well as the Global Compact, belong to me. If you want to use them, just make sure to tell me and give credit where it's due.  
  
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Genetic Lessons: Adaption  
  
By Polar Kodiak  
  
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"Wake up, you lazy Apparition.  How you ever passed your Acolyte ascension tests I will never know."

The familiar voice awoke Shinji.  The young pilot, surprised at recalling the gruff voice that he hadn't…_had not _heard since before he became an Initiate, bolted up in the hospital bed.  His golden eyes quickly scanned the room, searching for the origin of the voice.  He shook his head, realizing that he had foolishly thought that he would actually _see _a Fifth Variant Magistrate with his eyes.  Magistrates only let you see them if they wanted you to.

Rubbing his head to clear the remains of his trauma-induced sleep and fingering the bandage that covered his cranium, the young Ikari pulled away the covers and climbed out of bed.  "Magistrate Iridian?  What're you doing here?"

Suddenly feeling a sharp pain on his bandaged skull, Shinji's temper flared for just a moment before he stubbornly brought it under control.  "What was that for, Magistrate?" he asked calmly.

The dark, brusque voice retorted, "You are even lazier than I thought.  Using contractions, letting your Other take control of your mind in a simple skirmish…it is no wonder that Crono asked me to baby-sit you and make sure you do not screw this operation up any more than you already have."

Shinji ignored the insult.  He had heard more than enough like that during his training to become a member of the Elemental Order.  But something that Iridian said made him freeze.  "My Other took over?"

Even though Shinji could not see his former mentor, he could feel Iridian's finger pointing directly at him.  "After you let that monster ambush you- I thought I taught you better than that- you blacked out and your Other came out to play.  He nearly gave away the whole show to those NERV 'scientists'.  The technology they call state-of-the-art may be something that Compact children play with, but it can still detect two distinct brainwave patterns."

Shinji continued shaking his head in a stupor.  "My Other…the darkness that lurks inside every Fifth Variant…the price we pay for embracing the darkness…"

There was an audible sigh before the bedridden Ikari was sent flying across the room to leave a large Shinji-shaped dent in the wall.  "Do not get philosophical with me, Acolyte.  You know that splitting personalities is the only way our minds can cope with such powers.  All Elementals have an Other; ours are just more dangerous.  That is why we Fifth Variants have such a strict control over our emotions…well, _most of us anyway."_

The pilot pulled himself off the floor and composed himself.  "Wait a minute, Iridian.  The fact that my Other came out could not have been the only reason Crono asked you to come here."

A heavy chuckle emanated from near the bed, where Iridian was sitting.  'Then again, all Fifth Variants know how to throw their voice.  Standard black ops training.  He could be anywhere,' Shinji thought.  

"Well, well, looks like the little squirt has a brain, and by Hades, it works too.  Let me just go into a bit more detail about how you botched this operation so far, Shinji.  First, the simple property damage that you caused requires repairing, and that itself pulls money from elsewhere.  Financial services are at a premium and- you _do _know what that means, right?"

Shinji groaned.  "Financial windfalls means infiltration from the Corporates."

"Bravo," the gruff voice continued.  "The Compact has very little in the realm of financial weaponry, and it is tough enough to prevent influence from Earth, Inc. forces, much less dislodge them.  Tokyo-3 may soon find that its economy in the toilet whenever it suits the Corporates.  Of course, that will be at the worst possible moment for us.  Wonderful job, Ikari."

"You said first.  There is more?"

"Of course there is.  Welcome to the real world, Acolyte.  Remember I mentioned that NERV nearly captured the brainwave of your Other?"

"Yes."

"Well, you can bet that the Imperium picked up on that too.  True, they have no idea what a brainwave is, or a brain for that matter, but they are bright enough to know that two 'spirits' in one body means that there are Elementals lurking about.  Congratulations, Acolyte Ikari.  You have single-handedly doubled the Imperial presence on this world.  _That is why I am here."_

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"Impressive." Shinji said in a dull monotone.  

"Just wait for…now," Misato replied.  As she breathed the last word, Tokyo-3 began to reform itself.  Buildings rose apparently out of the ground, the concrete and steel spires reaching towards the sky.  

Shinji was unimpressed.  He turned, looking at Misato.  Now _she _was impressive, not to mention…he shook his head, using all his willpower to deflect those thoughts.  They distracted him from his mission.  A whisper of a chuckle, too quiet for the Captain to hear, floated into Shinji's ears.  'I bet you find this funny, you sadistic fiend,' the young Acolyte thought.  His cloaked mentor was probably laughing as loudly as his stealth would allow.  He was only a few meters away from Misato, so laughing louder than what Shinji could detect would invite discovery.

"Shinji?  Do you mind not staring at my car so violently?"

"Huh?" Shinji replied intelligently.  He was staring at Iridian, not Misato's car…but of course, she didn't know that.  

Misato walked up to him and slapped him on the back.  "You're probably just tired from your long day…let's go home, okay?"

The young pilot followed, mumbling something dark to his invisible mentor.  If the Magistrate had been visible, the broad grin on his features would be easily seen.

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'When was the last time I took a bath by myself?' Shinji wondered.  As an Acolyte, Shinji had not ranked high enough to procure his own quarters.  As such, he always had used the community showers.  While he understood the material waste that segregated shower rooms would have produced in terms of having to build two shower rooms instead of one that did nothing to allieviate his baser instincts whenever he showered with other women.  

Pulling the plug of the bathtub, Shinji let the water drain.  He reached for his towel, which suddenly was no longer where it should have been.  The young pilot pulled aside the curtain and found himself face-to-face with his new roommate.  In her hand was a yellow towel.  Shinji realized that he had forgotten to pick one up before he began his bath.

Misato noticed Shinji's entire body for the first time.  He was slim, but well muscled after years of intense training in the Compact.  His body was not built for stamina, but quick strikes and fast kills; the strength of Fifth Variants was in their black ops capabilities.  Despite that, Shinji was no pushover.  Without a trace of embarrassment, he took the towel that Misato was holding.  "Thank you," he said simply.  He began drying himself up, making little effort to cover his nudity.  Living in cramped quarters with both males and females alike eliminates modesty after a while, and Shinji was no exception.

Having dried himself, Shinji refolded the now damp towel and placed it in the wash basket.  He strode out of the bathroom, still completely nude, leaving a baffled Misato standing alone as the door to his room silently shut.  He opened up his closet, which now contained all seven of his uniforms.  All were black, naturally.  Also, all were made out of a material that while soft as silk was strong enough to stop any projectile weapon short of a shotgun shell.  He pulled the short-sleeved shirt on first after his undershorts.  Next, he pulled up his pants, perfectly tailored to his powerful legs, tucking in his top.  He buckled his pants with a square sapphire buckle.  The color and shape of the buckle was a reflection of his status within the Elemental Order.  To top off his outfit, he pulled on a similar jacket made of the same material.  His entire wardrobe was cut along sharp military lines; there was little that could be used as a handgrip in a battle that was not absolutely necessary.  As such, the material tended to mold to Shinji's body, which left little for the imagination.  He quickly completed the getup with his pair of gloves.

After donning his attire, Shinji pulled out a medium-size box.  The box was an electric blue, powerfully contrasting with nearly everything else of Shinji's sparse material possessions, all of which were black.  Slowly he pressed various points on the rectangular cube, unlocking it at various pressure sensors.  Finally it opened, and Shinji placed the box on the floor, revealing its contents as he pushed the lid back.

Within the box were two platinum bracelets.  They were both set with pure rubies, which seemed to reflect the light into the eyes no matter how little light was actually in the room.  His lower lip trembled slightly as his fingers ran over the bracelets.  He could almost feel the heat of their last wearer radiating through his gloved hands.

There was a knock on his door.  Shinji, caught up in the emotional flashback, did not notice.  The door opened slowly.  Misato stepped inside, closing the door behind her.  She placed a hand on his shoulder and was about to apologize for earlier when she saw the bracelets.  "Shinji…"

He snapped back to reality.  The lid was closed and locked before she could see him move.  "A gift from an late friend," he said in shaky monotone, trying to hold back the flood of tears that he knew was near.

"Sachiko?" Misato asked.

Shinji whipped his head around.  His lower lip was trembling again.  "How did you-"

"I read your file.  I'm sorry, Shinji.  I know what she meant to you."

Shinji's already shaky resolve collapsed.  He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Misato's waist, bursting into tears.  Not knowing what to do, she put her arms around his and rubbed his shoulders.  He cried for what seemed like hours.  Finally, the sobbing ceased.  However, that was because Shinji had fallen asleep from emotional exhaustion.  He fell forward, taking Misato with him.  They fell together onto his bed, her body now flattened underneath the mass of iron muscle that now lay upon her.  Shinji's head now lay in between her breasts, and his chest rose and fell evenly.

He wasn't going anywhere soon, and neither was Misato.  "Umm…Shinji…" she whispered.

No avail.  Shinji was sleeping more deeply than if he had been put to sleep by Hypnos himself.  Conversely, Misato had never been more awake.  She was _very aware of how the young man on top of her was positioned, and it made her realize how very long it had been since she had been with a man.  She blushed crimson as rather improper thoughts ran through her half-sober mind.  Maybe she shouldn't have had so many Yebisus before she went to get Shinji's towel…come to think of it, why did she…_

  
'Oh, screw it.  It's been a long day.'

After watching Misato drift off, the invisible Magistrate snuck out of the room and onto the balcony before letting off a massive bellow.  He laughed so hard that he was forced to hold his sides.  He was not very fond of Shinji's emotional outburst- he would have to pound the young pup for that later- but the events surrounding it were hilarious.  He spent the rest of the day watching the setting sun.

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(Two weeks later)

The hangar was completely silent.  All the hubbub that had filled the massive storage facility was gone.  It couldn't have been quieter if all the air had been sucked out and only a vacuum remained. The Evangelion Unit 01 sat motionless, it's half-submerged body covered in replacement armor and makeshift bandages.  There was no one remaining in the empty chamber, save for two souls.

The silence was finally broken by the only person in the room.  "How, Yui?"

Evangelion Unit 01 remained silent.

"Never in the Dead Sea Scrolls is power like that I've seen in the past weeks mentioned.  Not until the S2 unit is absorbed.  Never is it written that Evangelions can make themselves invisible to the naked eye.  Those morons at SEELE are up in arms, demanding to know how you have done what you did.  The Third Angel I could write off as a berserker; but against the Fourth, Pilot Ikari was in full command of-"

Gendo paused.  Taking one last look at the Evangelion, he strode off to his office.  As he did, his mind raced.  'It wasn't Yui who was creating that kind of power.  Rei didn't have access to that kind of potential when we tried to synch her with Unit 01.  It was the pilot!  Pilot Ikari is the one who can drive the Evangelion far beyond what the Dead Sea Scrolls predicted!'

Entering a nearby elevator, the Commander of NERV inserted a key and hit a secret passcode.  The lift began rising to his floor.  'But how?  Every single report that NERV has on Shinji over the past ten years has been checked and verified as him living with his aunt and uncle.  Unless…could they have been forged?  Impossible.  My intelligence network is free of all SEELE influence.  If not SEELE, who could it be?  Who is shielding me from the origin of Shinji's power?'

The doors opened silently, and the darkened room was awash with dark light.  Shadows cast all over the room, despite the fact that there seemed to be nothing to cast shadows.  Bizarre patterns formed on the walls, ceiling, and floor.  This was Gendo Ikari's lair.  The scenery was lost on the NERV Commander as he strode to his desk and called up a file from the entry plug camera, back during the fight against the Third Angel.  It showed Shinji Ikari, but there was something…different about him.  

Gendo froze the image.  In the corner of the screen, a small LCD lit up, displaying the stats of the plug itself.  Sealed, contained…everything appeared normal…language set, Greek…pilot stats all regular.

The older man almost lost his colored spectacles.  Greek?  Shinji was thinking and fighting in Greek?  Why?  For what purpose?

Something else seemed off.  Gendo leaned forward and peered closer at the frozen image of his son.  'It's his eyes.  They seem so passionate, so alive…so different than when he isn't fighting.  Is he like me, simply putting on a charade to make others underestimate him?'

The older Ikari picked up a phone.  He ordered that Pilot Ikari's guard be doubled, and all activities taped.  "Soon, you'll let slip who you're collaborating with, Shinji Ikari," Gendo whispered.  "And when you do, I will discover how you channel so much power through the Eva.  When that happens, nothing will stop Instrumentality!"

----------------------------------------------------------

Despite his continual protests at "babysitting that incompetent fool who had the intellectual capacity of Pan," Iridian was having the time of his life.  There was nothing more he enjoyed than insulting other people's performance, and berating Shinji gave him a particularly swelled breast.  Like now, for instance.  Misato had gone out to celebrate the victory over the Fourth Angel.  Drinking, naturally.  That left Shinji and Iridian alone in the apartment.  Because he had not eaten recently, Iridian was forced to drop his invisibility.  No sense being invisible when no one else was around.  Or on an empty stomach.

"Iridian!  I only took four and a half minutes to kill the Angel!  I still had plenty of power left!" Shinji protested.

The mentor said little between munching the meal Shinji had made for the two of them.  "That is four minutes more than you should have taken, you moron.  At least you can cook a decent meal like the _woman _you are!"

Shinji growled.  Iridian continued goading his charge, probing his emotional tolerance.  "Actually, that makes sense.  Misato goes out every night drinking, and you, like the wench you are, stay at home and clean up after her.  Even though Misato wears skirts- not that I am complaining- it is obvious who wears the pants in this relationship."

The younger Variant's already poor control over his emotions snapped.  He leapt at Iridian, who was waiting for him.  The older man barely moved as he suplexed Shinji to the ground, the wood boards groaning beneath the combined weight of the two of them.  Iridian locked Shinji's arm behind him, twisting it further until an audible _snap _was heard as Shinji's shoulder dislocated.  "Let that be a lesson to you." Iridian growled.  He calmly took his seat back at the table and resumed eating, leaving the young pilot lying on his stomach.  Shinji was crying silent tears; not of pain but of shame.  His greatest weakness had been exploited again, and Iridian had taught him a very painful lesson.

----------------------------------------------------------

"You slipped and dislocated your shoulder?  That seems pretty improbable," Ritsuko said.  

Her patient said nothing.  He was too busy berating himself for his foolishness.  Shinji simply stood and walked out of the hospital, his head bowed low. He silently walked down the streets of Tokyo-3.  His left arm was in a cast, the white gauze strikingly contrasting with his standard black uniform.  He was alone as he strode down the crowded metropolitan street.  Iridian had gone off, well, somewhere.

  
Shinji turned a corner onto an even more congested avenue, still pondering.  There was so much he didn't understand: What were these Angels?  Who was controlling them?  Were they connected to the Fundamental Imperium at all?  Angels, the Imperium's obsession with anything relating to their theology…was there a connection?  Had the plutocratic Incorporated forces infiltrated Tokyo-3, as Iridian suggested?  Surely, if they had, problems with the economy would sprout up immediately.  Misplaced appropriations for repairing the Eva units would most likely be the first financial sabotage, and the most obvious clue to finding any Earth, Incorporated influence.

Someone bumped into Shinji, sending pain through his damaged shoulder.  It immediately reminded him why Iridian had dislocated his shoulder; the young pilot simply had no control over his emotions whatsoever.  Even the sight of Sachiko's old bracelets could set Shinji into a sob.  Iridian was right; Shinji was disgraceful.  Everything reminded him of Sachiko; even the still air and lack of noise brought back memories of a decade past.

Wait a minute.  No one around him was moving.  Everyone was frozen, as if the Gods themselves had pressed the 'Pause' button on life.

"The Gods?  Not quite, though I am flattered you think so."

Shinji spun around at the voice.  Standing behind him was a doppelganger of himself.  This one, however, seemed darker, more menacing.  Whereas Shinji was wiry with golden eyes, this other Shinji was taller, broader, and his eyes were jet black.  The smaller Shinji involuntarily backed up, dropping into a defensive posture, raising his arms to protect his face if need be.  The taller one laughed.  "Do not act as if I were a real opponent.  Or have you not noticed that your arm is no longer bandaged?"

Dropping his guard, the smaller Ikari looked at his arm.  Sure enough, it was fully functional.  "Who are you?  And how did you freeze everyone like that?"

"I am your Other," Shinji's Other replied.  "You know, the guy who saved your scrawny ass against the Third Angel?"

The real Shinji stood there, flummoxed.  The Other sighed.  "Look, I do not want to expose myself for very long.  There are Imperials on this world, and their prayers can detect me.  Do _not make me save your worthless hide again.  I will if I have to; that is my job as your darker half.  But this mission is going to be tough enough without having to worry about Imperials, not to mention Prussians or Incorporates, breathing down our collective neck.  If I have to come out, they will detect our mental overlap instantly.  In other words, try to keep from getting your head handed to you by these Angels.  That way, I do not have to clean up your mess.  Oh, better move to your right." Shinji's Other snapped his fingers._

"Huh?" The golden-eyed Shinji said, before a rushing pedestrian slammed into his bad shoulder yet again.

"Oww!"

----------------------------------------------------------

"Shinji, are you all right?  Rit-chan called me and told me what happened.  Is there anything I can get for you?" Misato asked in a worried voice.  Any trace of drunkedness was gone from her voice and her demeanor.

Shinji smiled.  Over the past month that he had known his roommate, his affection for her had only grown beyond his initial lust.  The way she had magnanimously taken him into her home and made him a part of her life…Shinji was boggled by her gracious offer, and never took it for granted.  No one in the Elemental Corps ever showed him such kindness.  Except Sachiko, of course.  Misato's concern for his well-being sparked something in his breast, something that he hadn't felt in a very long time.  The young pilot had no idea what it was, only that Iridian had told him to squash it.  Feelings were not for Fifth Variants.

But Shinji didn't.  He let the seed of a feeling spurt, and it was growing stronger every day.  What did it mean?  Deciding to think on it later, Shinji warmly replied, "I'm…I am quite fine, Misato.  I appreciate your concern."

His concerned roommate smiled back.  Ever since she had met him, Misato knew that under that cool and impassionate exterior, there was a compassionate and kind young man.  She had immediately made it her mission to break that shell around his emotions, and to let that adolescent come forth.  She didn't want both of the Eva pilots to be emotionless drones.  Every chance she got, Misato would spend time with her charge, telling jokes, playing games, or just talking.  Shinji would never reveal much about his life, but that was okay with her.  He would tell her about himself in time.

"Well, that's good.  I hope you're able to cook with one shoulder, because it's your turn to cook tonight!" Misato said, happily.  She loved his cooking; his Greek cuisine was an exotic sensation compared to her microwave ramen.  Ruffling his hair, she began walking off to her room to catch a quick catnap before dinner.  Shinji caught up with her and lightly tapped her shoulder.  "Just where do you think you are going?"

Misato turned back.  "Well, I was just going to change into something more comfy, then catch a few winks.  Why?"

The young man smirked in standard Elemental Blackwood "I know something you are not going to like hearing" style.  "In case you did not notice, Misato, I only have one arm that works.  I'm going to need an assistant to help me prepare dinner."

His roommate pouted cutely, her shoulders slumping.  "But Shinji…"

Shinji wagged his finger.  "No buts, young lady.  Now, go and get changed and meet me in the kitchen."  He lightly brushed his lips on Misato's forehead and strode into the kitchen.  It took him a few seconds to realize what he had done, and a few more for the cloaked Iridian to smack him over the head with a pan. 

"You moron!" he whispered hastily.  "I _ordered _you to quell those emotions of affection!  Now you see what you have done!  You now have someone you care about!  I _told _you that I would tolerate nothing of the sort!  The Imperials can break you with people you care about!"

"Look," Shinji snarled back.  "If I am to figure out more about this Instrumentality Project, I need to maintain trust among the upper levels of NERV.  To do that, I have to at least act like a 'normal' teenager.  I have researched the matter, Iridian.  Teenage guys are flirty.  According to the Second Variants I talked to, I'm properly acting flirtatious, so stop irritating me about it!"

"You don't have to yell, Shinji…I'm right here."

At the sound of Misato's voice, Shinji whirled around and found himself face to face with Misato's ample chest.  The effects of her previous drinking hadn't fully worn off, so when Shinji kissed her forehead, she decided to be playful too.  She had snuck up behind him and positioned herself so that when he turned around, he'd be staring at her most generous assets.  The reaction was pretty much what she expected.

Every single rational thought left Shinji's brain.  He began babbling incoherently.  She giggled madly.  'Still got it,' she thought.

----------------------------------------------------------

As he lay in his futon for the night, Shinji was thinking.  Iridian had left for the night to…wherever it was that he slept.  The young man lay quietly, staring at the ceiling.  He hadn't bothered to undress.  He was thinking of what he had happened earlier.  

How had Misato snuck up on him?  Even though he was distracted with Iridian, he should have heard her coming.  How much had she heard?   Probably not much to be suspicious, if her attitude during dinner was any indication.  Still, the question of how she had gotten through his defenses stayed with him, like an annoying gnat.  He was a third-level Acolyte, by Hades!  A mouse should not have been able to breathe without him knowing!  It simply did not make any sense.  Misato had the subtlety of a Terran!  First Variants were completely the opposite of his Fifth; subtlety and discreetness were not exactly their strong suits.  The same applied for Misato.

Shinji's hand curled into a fist, and he angrily hit the floor beside him.  The abused floorboards groaned in protest.  Biting his lip, the young Variant closed his eyes and focused on his breathing as he slipped into meditation.  Every night for the past month, Shinji had been desperately trying to control and temper his emotions, to no avail.  He let his mind wander as his body slipped into a half-sleep, still conscious but with a slower respiration.  He thought back to what he had told Iridian about his behavior towards Misato.  

'I am only acting like this so that she will trust me, right?  My mission here is about this Instrumentality project of Gendo Ikari's…I don't really feel affection for her, do I?'

The young man drifted further into slumber.

----------------------------------------------------------  
  


"Shinji!  Wake up!" Misato shook the young man again.  Ever so slowly, his eyes opened.  Recognizing the haste in her voice, he snapped awake.  He quickly took notice of how hastily dressed she was, and within moments, any trace of sleepiness was gone.  

"Angel attack?"

She nodded.  The two of them immediately raced down to her car, which had long been repaired.  New tread marks embedded themselves into the road as the Captain drove recklessly, cutting corners at angles that shouldn't have been possible and accelerating at breakneck pace.  All in all, it was a standard Katsuragi driving experience.

Everyone in the NERV control center was waiting for them.  Shinji broke off and headed for the locker room to change into his plug suit.

"It's just sitting there?" Misato asked.

"Pretty much," Ritsuko replied.  Then, she noticed her friend's disheveled appearance.  "Shinji keep you up late last night?"

"What?!!!!!"

"Eva Unit 01 is ready for launch."

Father ordered son to launch.  The Eva unit rocketed up the catapult, the narrow passageway speeding by him as he tightened his grip on the controls and began chanting in Greek to summon his invisibility.  Suddenly, the Eva unit halted its ascent, and Shinji found himself face to face with a dual-pyramid like object.

The Fifth Angel had arrived.  And it took the initative.  Before Shinji could blink, a lance of yellow light pierced the Evangelion's chest.  Even the Fifth Variant's lighting-fast reflexes couldn't save him.  The light spear and its subsequent effect caused the young pilot to bite his lip in pain so hard that blood mixed with LCL.  The latter substance was bubbling madly as the Evangelion was brought back down the catapult.  Its pilot shut his eyes tightly, fighting off the pain of being hit in the chest with such a powerful weapon.


	4. Battle

Disclaimer: The Characters of Evangelion do not belong to me, I'm sorry to say. They belong to Gainax. The rest of the characters, as well as the Global Compact, belong to me. If you want to use them, just make sure to tell me and give credit where it's due.  
  
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Genetic Lessons: Battle  
  
By Polar Kodiak  
  
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The battered Evangelion was immediately brought back into the cocoon of the Eva hangar. A massive crater was present in what used to be the Unit's chest, cybernetic organs protruding from the gaping hole. Inside the entry plug, the pilot cursed and shut his eyes tightly, fighting the immense pain. The neural feedback from the surprise attack was excruciating, but Shinji had felt worse before. His tolerance for pain was astronomical. It had to be; if enemy forces caught Shinji, or any Fifth Variant, torture would be the obvious result. Shinji quickly reached underneath the collar of the plug suit with his uninjured arm and tapped twice on his upper chest. Moments later, the painkillers that had been surgically implanted into his chest cavity began to spread throughout his body released into his bloodstream, dulling the extreme pain he had felt.  
  
The LCL drained quickly, and Shinji expelled the remaining liquid from his lungs, not without a little blood, the iron taste filling his mouth as it filled the space between his teeth. Taking several pained breaths, the young Variant fought off the last of the pain before stepping out onto the platform. A recovery team was waiting for him, bringing a gurney in case he was unconscious. He waved it off. "I am not so weak as to need assistance."  
  
Shinji took one final deep breath before stumbling off to the locker room. He immediately took a beeline to the shower and turned on the cold water after doffing his plug suit, making sure not to agitate the dislocation of his shoulder. 'A perfect example of how pathetic I am. I am so wretched that I cannot even control my emotions.' He needed to get his mind from latching onto his failure. He did not need to focus on it at the moment.  
  
"You are a miserable failure."  
  
Iridian would remind him of it plenty. The Magistrate was not visible, as usual, but his presence was as obvious as if he had been.  
  
"I was-" Shinji began.  
  
"You were distracted," Iridian shot back. Shinji felt a powerful punch to the stomach, causing him to drop to one knee as the blow was powerful enough to make him double over, even with the painkillers. He felt his former mentor grasp his wrist and twist his injured arm behind his back, dislocating the shoulder yet again and sending fresh waves of pain into Shinji's brain, overruling the painkillers. His breathing once more became shallow as he felt the water turn scalding hot. Shinji did not dare get out of the hot stream of water. He knew when to accept punishment for failure.  
  
"You had ample time to dodge," Iridian continued. "I counted. You had well over half a second. What happened?"  
  
Shinji knew better than reply.  
  
"Well?" Iridian pressed.  
  
"You are right. I was distracted." Shinji stated.  
  
Iridian kicked Shinji hard in the back, driving him onto his stomach. "By Hades were you distracted! That was even more disgraceful than your first battle with the Angels. At least you had the good sense to remain conscious! I hope your learning curve is steeper than your worthless attempts to control your emotions." He repeated the last word with disgust. "I failed you in the latter on your last examination, if you remember."  
  
Oh yes. Shinji remembered. It was because of that failing grade that Shinji entered the Corps as an Initiate Level One instead of Level Two.  
  
"Your Eva is being repaired. Do not fuck up next time, by Hades." With one swift kick to the ribs, Iridian departed. Shinji slowly got to his feet, propping himself up with his strong arm. Taking a towel, he slowly began drying his body off, doffing his plug suit and hanging it in his locker. On the top shelf was a silver container. Inside was a massive syringe with a dense, green liquid inside. Without hesitation, Shinji stabbed the enormous needle into his heart, depressing the stopper and releasing the painkiller replenishment into his body. He read the small note attached to the canister: 'Do not waste this batch. It will be the last you get for a while. Your monthly salary has been deducted appropriately to cover the cost. Signed, Veriias Elerbi, Variant Accounting Office'.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
"What do you mean, Shinji?" Misato asked, confused.  
  
"Rei should not be the bodyguard. I should be," he replied, pointing to Rei with his re-bandaged arm. It was not a hard task to convince Ritsuko that he had tripped in the slippery shower stall and re-aggravated his injury. "Assume that the sniper does not destroy the Angel. The Angel is obviously going to shoot back. Whoever is holding the shield- the bodyguard- is going to have to deal with the neural feedback."  
  
He turned to the doctor. "You have done tests on both of us. I have a higher pain tolerance."  
  
'Almost too high,' Ristuko thought. She shook her head. "You have a higher synch ratio, Shinji. You have a better chance of hitting the target."  
  
"I have felt the Angel's attack. I know what to expect, should the sniper miss," Shinji retorted.  
  
"Enough," Gendo bellowed without raising his voice. "Rei will be the sniper."  
  
There was no arguing with the Supreme Commander of NERV.  
  
'Maybe,' Gendo thought, 'I can discover just where it is Pilot Ikari gets his interesting powers. If Rei misses, Shinji will have to take down the Angel through his usual unconventional means.'  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
"May I join you?"  
  
Rei said nothing, but did not complain when Shinji sat beside her. On the young man's left was his fully repaired Unit 01; on Rei's right was her own Evangelion, ready for the operation. The two mecha seemed to mirror the personalities of their pilots; the purple Unit 01 was poised for action, its green eyes narrow slits like a heartless warrior. The orange Unit 00 was more reserved, less curved, more polygonal.  
  
The two teens sat on the platforms silently, looking at the mountain range before them. Softly, Rei spoke. "Why?"  
  
"Why what?" Shinji responded, turning to her.  
  
Rei did not face him. "Why did you insist on taking the shield?"  
  
Shinji blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You held back. During the meeting."  
  
Shinji remained silent, and Rei did not press him further. Instead, the two of them sat quietly and listened to the night.  
  
The young man's thoughts drifted, eventually settling on wondering what he was doing here on the planet of his birth, as opposed to a real, significant mission, or even Lunar Base back on the Global Compact's moon.  
  
'If it were not for Crono, I would not be here,' Shinji thought angrily. Shinji's distaste for his ultimate superior was nearly omnipresent. He had never liked the Fifth Variant Elemental. Ever since Sachiko's death, Shinji had felt that the Shadow Elemental was somehow responsible. If the Fifth Variant Elemental had done something, anything, Sachiko would be alive today, Shinji reasoned. Crono had done nothing to protect his guardian from Imperial ambushes.  
  
'Crono only saw Sachi as a Second Variant. To him, anyone not a Fifth Variant is expendable. By Hades, if it is the last thing I do, he will pay for his role in Sachi-chan's death.'  
  
A sneer worked its way onto Shinji's lips. 'He may be my superior officer, and if it were not for his importance as the Compact's greatest spymaster I would-'  
  
"Let go of your anger towards Crono, Shinji."  
  
Shinji's head twisted to the right in a millisecond. Beside him was no longer Rei, but Iridian, fully visible. There was no danger of being spotted; the operation would not begin for hours yet. Much of NERV's crew were catching a quick nap before the operation. But where had Rei gone?  
  
The older man smirked and gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. "Rei left about half an hour ago. A moron could read your thoughts by facial expressions alone, Shinji. You always have that same sneer when you are thinking of the boss."  
  
The young man said nothing. Iridian chuckled deeply, reaching out and gripping Shinji's good shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. "Shinji, you have to get over Sachiko. Crono told me that he had warned Sachiko about Imperial agents in the area."  
  
Shinji's chin sank into his chest. "But she was so worried about getting me to safety that she risked getting killed by Imperials, even knowing the risks."  
  
Iridian nodded. "Got that one right from the boss's lips myself. What a reckless, impulsive act. She was a Second Variant to the end, was she not?"  
  
A small smile slowly formed on Shinji's face. "Yes, she certainly was special like that."  
  
The young Variant realized something, noticing Iridian's beaming smile. Iridian was actually being cordial to him. In the years that Shinji had known the Magistrate, Iridian had never been so friendly with him. Easily reading his face once more, Iridian laughed heartily. "Do not be on your guard, Shinji. This is no test."  
  
That meant it certainly was a test. Shinji immediately sprang up into a defensive stance, his body pivoting to protect his weak side from the roundhouse kick he already knew he was on its way. Sure enough, his strong arm was positioned well enough to deflect most of the kick's energy, bleeding it away before it got the chance to do any damage.  
  
"Good!" Iridian said, lining up a weak punch to bait Shinji's defenses. "Never let your guard down!"  
  
Back and forth the two fought on the narrow platform, the older man easily able to keep Shinji on the defensive by targeting the younger man's weaker side. Shinji leaped up for a powerful jump kick aimed at his mentor's head. Iridian dropped into a horse stance facing Shinji, blocking the potent kick with his forearm. Twisting his forearm before the pilot had a chance to retract his leg, catching it neatly and tossing Shinji over his head to land hard on his back.  
  
Shinji's leg was quicker than Iridian's arm. Despite the throbbing seeping into his skull, the young Variant brought his leg up in an ax kick, which resulted in Iridian sailing over Shinji to the far end of the platform. Iridian landed softly on one knee, using one hand to steady his body. Both men stopped for nearly three seconds before moving. Shinji rolled over and steadied himself on one knee, knowing that to try and stand would take too much time. Sure enough, Iridian's foot was already on its way towards his student's head.  
  
Shinji over-pivoted, causing him to slip off the narrow dais and nearly plummet hundreds of feet below if it were not for his strong arm narrowly catching the edge, leaving him hanging. Shinji shut his eyes tightly. Summoning his strength, he pulled himself up back from the near-abyss and brought himself up to a kneeling position. He placed his good hand over his bad shoulder and remained in that position, panting. Sweat ran down the young man's face.  
  
A few minutes passed before Misato walked up, having seen none of the quick skirmish. Shinji lingered a moment before rising and joining her.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
"There it is. Rei, begin charging the rifle. Shinji, you know what to do in case Rei misses."  
  
The First Child affirmed with a simple 'yes'. The Third didn't reply at all. The communication relay inside Unit 01 had mysteriously been broken. Shinji could receive messages, but not send them. It was too late to reel the Evangelions in to repair it.  
  
Inside the entry plug, Shinji shut his eyes softly and concentrated, beginning to chant the spell in Greek that would render his Evangelion invisible to the visible eye. If the Angel did see them, it would only see Rei, and would not notice Shinji until it was too late. As he did so, the tiniest of whispers swept through his ears. "Win," it said softly. His hands tightened on the joysticks as he felt the presence of his Other knocking at the back of his mind. It was reminding him not to fail.  
  
'I will not fail,' Shinji thought.  
  
Beside his Evangelion, Rei was mildly surprised when the Unit next to her suddenly disappeared. A moment later she felt its invisible hand on her shoulder. She reminded herself of his abilities and took a deep breath, waiting for the order to charge the rifle.  
  
"Rei, continue charging," Misato's crisp order came through her speakers. Rei immediately acknowledged, feeling the massive charge from all over Japan flow through the gargantuan rifle. Almost sensing the buildup, the Angel's body turned towards the Evangelions. The joystick's crosshairs settled on the invader, and Rei calmly pulled the trigger, letting off a torrent of energy that propelled itself at the Angel at the same moment a similar wave of energy fired itself at the source of the assault.  
  
The gravitational displacement caused by both beams caused them to curve around each other. However, the Angel's beam emerged from the disturbance back on track to hit Rei's Evangelion while the rifle's blast harmlessly detonated a mountain. Her companion sprang into action, holding up the hastily-constructed shield in front of him, defending them both. Shinji held onto the rapidly melting barrier with all his strength, eventually feeling the sheer heat cause his Eva's armor to melt, forming rivers of hot metal that splayed across it's body.  
  
In Eva Unit 01's hands was nothing. The barrier had been completely disintegrated by the Angel's blast, as had most of Unit 01's armor. The energy blast had decimated both the exterior of the Eva as well as dispelling Shinji's invisibility spell. The sheer decimation was obvious to all who were watching. It looked horrific.  
  
Horrific was an understatement. Shinji's eyes were shut tightly once more, his teeth gritting against each other. His chest, still not fully healed from the psychological pain inflicted from the last attack, was afresh with pain. The young Variant did not dare to use his last reserves of painkillers, so he willed the pain into a dark corner of his mind and tried to focus on his goal, the Angel. Being completely useless as a shield, he rushed down the mountainside, hoping to distract the Angel for long enough for the rifle to recharge. His body was on fire, but the young man did not care. He had a duty to do, and something as trivial as excruciating pain was not going to stop him. He had disabled his communications, but not his external speakers.  
  
"Come and get me, you-"  
  
Most of the words after that made Iridian, who was watching from a safe vantage point, proud. 'Given how much of a Hades I made his life, it is no wonder he learned how to swear properly.'  
  
However, not everyone was as knowledgeable about Greek profanity. "What is he shouting, Ritsuko?"  
  
Some had studied Greek in college, though. "You don't want to know."  
  
Apparently, Angel Academy for Earth Invaders taught Greek as well, because the Angel turned towards Shinji and immediately fired at the Evangelion. Bending his legs slightly, the pilot launched his Eva into a dive to one side, falling heavily on his bad shoulder. He had sprung too late, as part of the energy blast impacted on his right leg, burning it to a near cinder and sending fresh waves of pain into his body.  
  
'By Hades...I cannot move fast enough to dodge another blast. Not with this useless leg.' Shinji took a deep breath. 'Sorry Sachi, I did my best...'  
  
The expected fatal blast never came. Instead, the Angel's core was annihilated by Rei's sniper shot. Shinji's diversion had bought her enough time for the rifle to recharge. The young man grinned before succumbing to the pain and exhaustion, his Eva deactivating.  
  
Iridian yawned and looked at his watch. 'Not bad,' he thought to himself. 'Excellent efficiency, as usual. Guess I will have to be extra-hard on the kid. No good deed goes unpunished, after all. Builds character.'  
  
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Shinji's mind emerged from its prison of unconsciousness with a start. Looking at his body, anyone would think that he was still in the bowels of slumber. But the proximity of an unfamiliar presence jerked his mind to alertness. A slender hand brushed up against his arm. His eyes burst open, reaching across to grab the lapel of the intruder's shirt, his other arm reaching back to form a fist, ready to send whoever was stealthy enough to get past his defenses.  
  
Rei was mildly surprised. And she had just brought him his lunch.  
  
Shinji blinked once. Then he blinked again. After about three seconds of utter silence, he realized that Rei was about six inches away from his face. Sheepishly, he let his hands drop. The only problem with this was that he had forgotten to let go of Rei's fuku. Rei felt a faint push on her back, shoving her down onto Shinji. The blue-haired girl promptly found her face in Shinji's crotch. The two of them sat there, motionless.  
  
Shinji blinked once more. For good measure. Rei also blinked, but it was hard to tell. Being nearly smothered in Shinji's lap, it was a challenge to see much of her face at all. Just to add to the unease, Shinji's hand slipped and found its way to Rei's soft breast. It was the worst possible time for anyone to walk in on their incredibly uncomfortable and awkward position.  
  
Which is, of course, exactly what happened. Ritsuko had been walking by when Shinji's vitals skyrocketed. A bemused smile found its way onto her pale face. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything."  
  
The door closed, Ritsuko covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. The moment over, Rei slowly crawled out of the bed and, straightening her fuku, walked calmly out of the door. Shinji didn't notice the faint blush of red spreading across her cheeks. The split second the door closed, Shinji heard a burst of laughter coming from a bedside chair. He growled. "That was not funny. Do not think I didn't know you pushed on Rei's back."  
  
Iridian continued to bellow for another few moments before calming down. "I will forgive the contraction because that was just so damn funny. If you needed some sexual release, you could have just asked a Second Variant. Fire elementals are always up for a little inter-Variant intercourse. Though Ms. Ayanami certainly has her positive points, I will not deny that. Still, you have an Oedipal complex or something?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Never mind. I just came here to tell you about your dismal performance this past night."  
  
Shinji shot a glance at where he assumed Iridian was. "My question still stands: What are you talking about? I was fine out there."  
  
The older man raised an eyebrow. The symbol was completely lost on Shinji, seeing as how Iridian was not visible to the naked eye. But the silence was a long enough message for Shinji. The teenager snorted. "Well, my Other did not emerge, so I did not do that badly."  
  
"That should be a given. Besides, if it were not for Rei, you would be vaporized."  
  
The young man sighed. 'Will Iridian ever give me a break?' he thought. Then he drew himself up. 'Of course not. We are the Elemental Corps. We do not need to be coddled.'  
  
Shinji reached for the lunch tray. Iridian poked him. "You just woke up. Better leave that food to me. You are still on liquids, after all." Grinning, he snatched the tray.  
  
"As if you really care about my welfare. You just want my food."  
  
"Of course."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Crono was wondering how his pet project was coming along. "Computer, display Operation Savior. Include Magistrate Iridian and Acolyte Ikari's most recent reports."  
  
The soothing female voice replied, "Processing..."  
  
A three-dimensional image emerged in the center of the office. It was a plethora of small holographic pictograms that resembled rectangular boxes, each of differing sizes. A line to form a relatively linear pattern connected many of the larger ones, with smaller boxes diverging from their larger progenitors.  
  
It was a timeline of sorts: each box represented a major event, and the smaller ones connected to them were not necessary to the continuation of the timeline, but were helpful for it to reach it's successful conclusion. The timeline had stretched as far back as fifteen years prior, but it was only until the past few months when the timeline had become much more complex. Four of the eighteen boxes had been filled in green. The events they represented had been completed successfully. The rest were blue. They had not yet been encountered. Through sheer luck, none of the streamlined boxes had been colored red.  
  
The computer, hundreds of times more powerful than the Magi computers that ran Tokyo-3, began updating the timeline. The largest box turned green.  
  
"Primary objective: Destruction of Fifth Angel. Complete."  
  
One of the off-branches also melted from blue to green.  
  
"Secondary objective: substantial mechanical damage to Evangelion Unit 01. Complete."  
  
The Fifth Variant smiled a bit. One of his advisers, a figure dressed entirely in red robes, grimaced. Her expression was not visible under the heavy hood she wore, but Crono could sense it in the slight strain in her voice. "I don't like how you're rooting for Shinji to be nearly killed."  
  
The man dressed in black ignored her contractions. Only Fifth Variants like he cared about the sanctity of language and how much you can tell your opponent by the language you use. "Shinji can take care of himself. I simply want NERV and SEELE to drain their coffers as much as is possible. If worse comes to worse, I can always sabotage it."  
  
"I would prefer if you did sabotage it," the woman replied. "That way there's no danger to Shinji."  
  
"That is why you are not a Fifth Variant. If I kept sabotaging the Evangelions, Gendo Ikari may get suspicious. Not that I particularly care. But I do not want to waste my time on small fries like Gendo Ikari."  
  
One of the other off-branches, meanwhile, had turned a light shade of crimson.  
  
"Secondary objective: substantial mechanical damage to Evangelion Unit 00. Failed."  
  
Crono shrugged. "I was not really expecting Shinji to fail at something as simple as bodyguard duty. He is a very noble soldier. Defending those weaker than he is something he excels at."  
  
The woman smiled. "I did my best to raise him that way."  
  
Crono threw a funny glance her way. "You did not raise him for very long, if I remember correctly. And I do."  
  
"What I lacked in time I made up for in quality."  
  
"Of course you did," Crono deadpanned, not believing her for a minute. Computer, how likely is it that Operation Savior will succeed in the big scheme of things?"  
  
The computer was ready with an answer. "Current probability that all primary objectives will be completed has increased to four point seven-six- two percent."  
  
The Shadow Elemental chuckled. "Computer, you may be utterly wonderful at mathematics, but you are no expert on the human mind. You still do beat out Gendo Ikari by a few kilos, I wager. Operation Savior will work because it has to work. The failure of Operation Savior will result in the eventual destruction of Humanity on no less than seven worlds. It is, simply, Common Sense."  
  
"Acknowledged."  
  
The woman in red robes asked Crono, "When is Pope Leo going to send the next Angel? I'm concerned for Shinji."  
  
Crono shot her a glance.  
  
She shrugged. "I don't see why I have to speak without contractions. I'm not a Fifth Variant."  
  
The man smiled. "Builds character. Anyway, according to Iridian, the Pacific Fleet is going to ship the next Evangelion Unit out within the next two weeks, so Leo will probably send his next Angel to attack the fleet en route. It is the most logical course of action. The pilot will most likely be shipped along with her unit. You would like her. She's quite fiery."  
  
"I thought you didn't base your conclusions on what the Imperium does based on the most logical course of action."  
  
Crono hid his fear of his mortal enemy's intelligence well. "That is why you are not a Fifth Variant."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------  
  
Pope Leo XXIV was a brilliant man. For the Fundamentalist Imperium, that is. He could accomplish something that few others in his realm could do. A feat that other worlds easily took for granted. But for a realm with as little infrastructure and technology as his, this was certainly a most daunting task.  
  
He could read.  
  
This was not unusual for his station; every Pope before him could read to some extent, but Leo took it to higher levels. He was quite possibly the most intelligent Pope ever to sit on the Vatican's throne. That's what made Blackwood fear him so. The greatest strength the Compact ever had over the Imperium was the Compact's brilliant strategists. Leo was not going to let his reign be remembered for another stunning round of defeat after defeat at the hands of those pagan Elementals. He had created the first War College ever in the Imperium, and his Cardinal Lords had been developing battle strategies for the first time in known history.  
  
Leo's powerful hands tightly grasped the handles of his throne as he faced yet another of his Cardinal Lords that was resisting his changes. "I will not tolerate ye one moment longer! You will attend the Blessed Order's newest War College, and if ye do not, I shall excommunicate ye myself!"  
  
The soldier at his feet trembled visibly at the thought. "Please, great Lord, stay your hand! I shall do as ye ask."  
  
"Good. Now begone from my sight. Bring Asoma to me."  
  
"Immediately, Lord!" The Cardinal nearly dashed out of the throne room, stumbling backwards, not wanting to disrespect the Pope by showing his back. Once out, he nearly tripped into a short man with half his left ear missing. "The Lord's representative on Earth beckons you to him, Trillian Asoma."  
  
Trillian took off the assault rifle strapped to his back and tossed it to a servant. "Hold on to that and try not to blow your head off," he ordered. The rifle was very out of place for such a medieval setting. All the rancor in his face disappeared when he entered the throne room, however. He walked slowly forward and bowed deeply, dropping to one knee. "May the great Lord protect you, Pope Leo, twenty-fourth in your noble line."  
  
"Quit the pleasantries. We are a nation at war, Trillian. How long until we can bring forth the next Angel forth from the heavens?"  
  
Trillian kept his head bowed, appearing the ever-faithful servant. "Within the next week, as per your plans, great Lord."  
  
The Pope relaxed a bit. "Excellent. Make sure to humbly ask the Angel to strike when the heathens are transporting one of their demonic Evangelions. Do it humbly, this time! Do not point those repulsive weapons you have at it! The Angel is a messenger from on Lord on high!"  
  
"Yes, your Lordship."  
  
"One more thing, Trillian. Do not make the mistake that I am as stupid as my predecessors. I know what ye are capable of."  
  
The short man bit his lip. Could this Pope really have breached his security? He worried momentarily, which was long enough for the armored man on the throne to confirm his suspicions. "I would never do anything that isn't the best for the Imperium, Pope Leo. If you'll allow me, I will depart to my supercomputer to confirm when the Pacific Fleet is leaving."  
  
Leo glared at Trillian, but decided that the midget was worth keeping around. His computer and advanced weaponry had aided the Imperium on more than one occasion. "Very well. Make sure ye kill the riders of those damnable Evangelions. Ikari and Ayanami, correct?"  
  
"Yes, Lord. And there will be one more soon. She shall die quickly. Her name is..." Trillian pulled out a small piece of paper. "Asuka Sorhyu, my Lord."  
  
Leo stood up. His polished iron armor shined in the Rome sun. His intelligent brown eyes flashed with righteous purpose. "Dispatch them immediately." 


	5. Jargon Appendix

Some people were confused about some of the jargon of the Elementals, so I typed up a little list (I'll add more by request):  
  
First Variants (also known as "Terrans"): Earth Elementals. Powerful, bulky, dependable, and good at taking orders, Earth Elemental "Golems" are anything but subtle and incredibly blunt and straightforward. They worship the old Titans in Greek Mythology.  
  
Second Variants (also known as "Flames"): Fire Elementals. Sachiko was one. Passionate, hot-tempered, reckless, and don't like being ordered around, especially by other Variants. Fire Elementals enjoy letting their emotions run wild, and have a particular conflict with Waters and Shadows (see below). They worship Hephaestus, the God of Fire in Greek Mythology.  
  
Third Variants (also known as "Floods" or "Waters"): Water Elementals. In contrast to their Second Variant companions, Waters are cool, rational, collected beings. Their control over their judgments, which always overrule their passions, makes them completely opposite to their compulsive Second Variant counterparts. They worship Poseidon, the God of Water.  
  
Fourth Variants (also known as "Gusts" or "Winds"): Wind Elementals. Aloof, without stress, these are the most laid-back of all the Variants. Without a care in the world, Fourth Variants are best given high-stress missions that no one else can take the pressure for. Like the Second Variants, they do little to control their emotions, not that they really need to. They worship Hermes, the God of Wind.  
  
Fifth Variants (also known as "Shadows" or "Apparitions"): Shadow Elementals. Crono is the leader (the rank is "Elemental") of the Shadows. Shinji is an Acolyte (the equivelent of a Lieutenant). They are the eyes and ears of the Global Compact (the parallel world Crono and Sachiko come from). They are effectively the internal and external security branches of the Compact; think the FBI, CIA, NSA, and Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) all rolled into one. Their strict control over their emotions is necessary for covert ops missions. They are forbidden to love or have powerful affection for anyone outside the Elemental Corps, lest they be killed or taken prisoner. They worship Hades, God of the Underworld.  
  
Sixth Variants (Also known as "Temporals"): Space-time Elementals. None have been found by the Compact as of yet. However, the Shadow branch is making many recon missions to try and find these elusive Variants, for it is rumored that these Variants are incredibly powerful. It is not known what they worship, but it is suggested that they would worship Chronos (the God of time, no relation to Crono Blackwood).  
  
As for the organizations that exist within the Genetic Lessons world...  
  
The Global Compact:  
Government: Democratic Republic  
Population: App. 12,000,000,000 (12 billion)  
Population growth: 3.8% every 10 years  
Territory: Earth, as well as parts of the Moon and Mars  
Capital: Athens  
Most widely spoken language: Greek  
Currency with highest value: Compact Dramal  
Economic Model: Free-market Capitalism  
Most widely practiced religion: Ancient Greek Mythology  
Current Calendar Year: 2012 A.U. (After Unification)  
Most highly respected occupation: Elemental Leader  
  
This world exists as a parallel earth, a world based on the answer to the question "What if...". The tangent of this world to the Evangelion world goes back to the fourth century B.C., where Alexander the Great did not die as young as he did in the history texts. In fact, his empire continued to grow exponentially. By the time he finally did die many years later, he handed his empire over to many able-bodied lieutenants, who governed the Greek-Macedonian empire ably, and expanded it further. With the mental prowess of the Greek city-states under the command of the Greek-Macedonian empire, both military power and cultural envy led to a continual expansion and a constant upsurge in technology. Eventually, the entire world was in control of the Greek-Macedonian Empire, founding itself as the Global Compact. With a scientifically curious Athens-based culture instead of a scientifically static Rome-based Catholic Church, science and technology boomed exponentially.  
  
The Global Compact is mostly self-governing; however, a six hundred man Assembly, whose members are chosen randomly among all citizens to serve a one-year term, oversees planetary crises and wars.  
  
A few hundred years before the events that transpire in Genetic Lessons, a mutation is discovered in the population. The mutation itself is rare, with only a few dozen thousand popping up every year out of the nine billion Compact citizens. The mutation itself has five known Variants, each of which enables the host to unlock amazing powers to control nature (see Elementals above).  
  
The Fundamentalist Imperium:  
  
Government: Theocratic Monarchy  
Population: App. 1,000,000,000 (One billion)  
Population growth: -2.8% every 10 years (this figure is only accurate  
in Fundamentalist-controlled areas; Americas and Australia not  
discovered.)  
Territory: Europe, Africa, Asia. Other continents unknown due to lack  
of data.  
Capital: Rome  
Most widely spoken language: Latin (among aristocracy, clergy), Greek  
(slaves, servants)  
Currency with highest value: Gold (mostly barter among lower and  
middle classes)  
Economic model: Clergy-dominated Feudalism  
Most widely practiced religion: Christianity  
Current Calendar Year: 2296 A.D. (Anno Domini: The year of our Lord  
Jesus Christ.)  
Most highly respected occupation: Clergyman.  
  
This is also a parallel earth, existing on the premise that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, simply never existed. Without the counterbalance that the rise of the Moslem Empire provided, the Roman-Christian Empire (brought together formally by Constantine) saw it's power and size grow by leaps and bounds as well. However, the Empire did not grow by combining the power of both culture and military: the growth of this empire was seeded exclusively in the latter. Pope-generals were a constant.  
  
However, this expanding behemoth had one great advantage: a similar, yet different mutation, soon cropped up within the Fundamentalist Imperium, though much more prevalent among the Imperium's one billion people. The Imperium itself did not know what exactly had caused the change in many of their warriors, simply that their crudely-fashioned iron weapons and armor could be "blessed" by prayers, made by these genetically-enhanced holy warriors.  
  
A Pope, centered in Rome at the Vatican, rules the Fundamentalist Imperium. The holy warriors of the Imperium are each specialized into various branches, such as Clerics that can cure maiming wounds, Paladins that fight with both blessed weaponry and destructive prayers, and the enormous Fanatics, born twice as large as any man and who know only how to kill heretics. 


End file.
